The present disclosure relates to semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same, and, more particularly, to semiconductor memory devices and the method of fabricating the same.
Due to their small-size, multifunctionality, and/or low-cost characteristics, semiconductor devices are considered important elements in the electronic industry. Some semiconductor devices may include a memory device for storing data, a logic device for processing data, and a hybrid device capable of performing various memory storage and data processing functions simultaneously.
Due to the increased demand for electronic devices with a fast speed and/or a low power consumption, the semiconductor memory device requires a fast read/write operating speed and a low operating voltage. Further, the semiconductor memory device needs high integration density, that is, more memory per area. However, there is a tradeoff between the integration density and the fast operating speed of the semiconductor memory device. For instance, due to the shrinkage of patterns, as the higher the integration density of the semiconductor memory device becomes, the slower the operating speed of the semiconductor memory device becomes.